


Like a Moth to a Flame

by Hobo



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Succubi & Incubi, Anal Sex, Angst, Extramarital Affairs, Hotel Sex, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Isabella isn't in this fic directly but their relationship is mentioned, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:47:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25543849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hobo/pseuds/Hobo
Summary: Edward's dissatisfaction with his unloving wife and dead-end job pushes him into pursuing a relationship with a mysterious man he met at a bar.
Relationships: Isabella/Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma
Comments: 21
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In case anybody wants some soundtrack for this fic, I listened to "Lubricants" by V E G E T A B L E S on loop while writing it and "Mind Control" from Manhunt 2 while editing
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Edit: Check chapter 2 for an alternate ending

Despite being a regular customer, Ed has always hated this bar. Aside from being so narrow and cramped that it made him feel claustrophobic, it perpetually reeked of cigarette smoke and cheap cologne. It was also dimly lit, almost as if someone was trying to create a romantic atmosphere but was failing miserably. Instead, the room just felt gloomy and depressing. Maybe it was just him. Admittedly, he had stopped being able to see the bright side of things a long time ago.

He stared down at his glass of bourbon in distaste. He never did like the taste of alcohol very much, and no matter how much he drank, he was never completely able to adjust to the burning sensation it left in his throat in its wake. At the end of the day, the alcohol was just an excuse. He’d often come home late at night and try to silently sneak into bed, but somehow Isabella would always manage to catch him in the act. He would simply brush her off and tell her that he’d needed to stay late working overtime. Then, she’d smell the alcohol on his breath and they would argue. She would tell him that he had an alcohol problem and Edward let her believe that. It was better than letting her know that the reason he didn’t want to come home was because of her, always had been because of her. 

Some days she would try to guilt him by claiming that his children missed seeing him. He knew it was a lie. He had twins, a boy and a girl, and he cared as little about them as he did about her. They were spoiled, disrespectful, and stupid, and he only had Isabella to blame for that. If she had let him raise them the way he had wanted to, he was sure they would have turned out differently. Instead, she had insisted on coddling them. No chores, no time outs, and certainly no raised voices. Even now, she refused to acknowledge that she had made the wrong decisions, and Edward couldn’t tell if it was due to stubbornness or just plain denial.

He rested his head in his hands, fingers tangling themselves into his unkempt hair. He used to put such careful attention into his appearance, making sure that no detail was ever overlooked. Everything always had to be perfect. Now, he just didn’t have the energy anymore, and Isabella never let him forget it. _You’re not the same man I once married,_ she would tell him, and he would wonder why she was so insistent on pointing out the obvious. Time changes everyone, for better or for worse. Perhaps in his case it had indeed been for worse, but she had certainly played a hand in that as well. She wasn’t innocent in this, no matter how good she was at acting like she was.

Things hadn’t always been this way between them. He thought back to when they first met, back when he was still bright-eyed and hopeful and full of youth. His childhood had been a cruel one, and despite the endless torment he had faced at the hands of his father, he remembered how freeing it had felt when he had finally gotten rid of him. He had managed to put himself through college and acquired a decent job that he actually enjoyed doing, and soon, he was able to get his very own place. In order to completely finalize the severing of all ties he had to his parents, he had even legally changed his own last name.

The world had seemed so bright and teeming with possibilities during that time. When he met Isabella, it felt as if he was finally getting the happy ending that he felt he deserved. It made it feel almost worth it to have gone through so much adversity as long as it meant having a future where he could truly be happy. To him at the time, that meant having a future with her in it. He had thought that they were soulmates back then. Because of that, he had rushed into marriage, and he had only himself to blame for that. Once the puppy love had faded it became clear that the two of them had nothing meaningful in common, and most of their time spent together was filled with arguments or uncomfortable silence. It seemed that a shared fondness for riddles was unfortunately not enough to sustain a happy marriage for life.

In addition to that, he had quickly fallen out of love with the job he had once enjoyed. He supposed it wasn’t the job itself that was the problem so much as it was his coworkers. He was always an outcast among them, and no matter how hard he worked to earn their favor, they never acknowledged him or any of his painstaking efforts. The pleasure he had once taken in a job well done soon started to fade, and the days began to blend together. Even his own hobbies had somehow lost their appeal somewhere along the way. He wondered if things could have been different had he made the right choices, but a part of him was convinced that things were always meant to end this way for him. A fairy-tale ending just wasn’t in his cards, so to speak.

He desperately wanted to cry. He imagined it would feel nice to be able to let all of his emotions out, to be able in some way to channel his problems through a physical form of expression. The tears never came anymore, though, and sometimes he wondered if he had long since used all of them up. He felt exhausted every day, both mentally and physically. It was especially severe as of late, and no matter how many hours he slept, it never seemed to get any better.

While Ed was busy feeling sorry for himself, he noticed a familiar shape sidling up to him out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t have to look to see who it was. The man put a hand on his back in a pseudo-sympathetic gesture, but there was no real emotion behind it and it was obvious. After taking a moment to compose himself, Ed glanced up to look at him through their reflection in the mirror behind the bar.

He had inky black hair, always styled meticulously with sharp bangs and spikes sticking out from all different directions. It should have been hard and sticky from the amount of product needed to achieve such a look, but Ed knew from experience that it wasn’t. It was always soft, as if freshly washed and somehow managing to fall in such a way naturally. His skin was pale and features sharp, creating an intense appearance that was impossible for him to erase from his mind.

And then there were his eyes. They were a bluish-green, and so very light. They were beautiful in an almost delicate way, and Ed sometimes found it difficult to look away from them after making eye contact. They were unique and mesmerizing and framed by lashes so dark and thick that it made Ed wonder if they were even real.

They were also completely empty. If eyes were truly the windows to the soul then Ed could confidently say that this man did not have one at all. 

Ed recalled the first time they had met here. 

_“I can tell that you’re unhappy,”_ _the man told him, and Ed chuckled humorlessly in response._

 _"What gave me away?”_ _He responded dryly. The man ignored the question and licked his lips in an almost predatory manner before continuing._

“ _I bet I can make you feel better,” he claimed with a suggestive wink._

“ _Don’t waste your time. I don’t even have enough money on me,” Ed told him, and that had been the truth. He'd come to the bar only prepared to order a couple drinks, not to hire a prostitute. And besides, he didn’t have much leftover money after what went towards Isabella and the kids to even spend on such luxuries._

_“Who said I came with a price tag?” He grinned, and Ed blinked up at him in shock. If he wasn’t a sex worker, it made no sense for the man to be approaching him. The stranger was young, handsome, and charismatic, in stark contrast to himself. Ed wasn’t old, but he wasn’t young anymore either now that he was almost pushing fifty. His eyes were dark and hollow from sleep deprivation and poor diet and his skin was creased with fine lines that had been formed by excessive stress. The fact that such an attractive person would show interest in him was undeniably flattering, and he supposed that was a contributing factor to his sudden lapse in self control._

_“I-I have a wife,” Ed protested weakly, but his interest was impossible to miss. The man’s smile turned into something more seductive and he leaned in close to whisper into his ear._

_“Then she doesn’t have to know,” he reassured him, placing a hand on his knee._

Ed had left the bar with him that night.

That first encounter had been just a few months ago, and he had been seeing Oswald at least once a week ever since. He was pretty sure he had never seen the man order a drink, so it was safe to assume that he only even showed up in order to look for him.

“It’s good to see you again,” the man purred, locking eyes with him in the mirror. There was no point in playing coy; they both knew the direction that this was headed in. Wordlessly, Ed left a tip on the counter and rose from his seat, abandoning his unfinished drink on the bar. He grabbed his coat and shrugged it on before pausing to hold the door open for his companion. He’d always been quite the gentleman, after all. Oswald shot him a sultry smile as he walked past, swaying his hips in a sensual manner that could only have been completely intentional. Ed allowed himself a moment to admire the shapely form of the man from behind before following along after him.

Ed pulled his jacket tighter around himself as he stepped into the foggy autumn night. He should have been used to the chill considering he had lived in Gotham his entire life, but he had lost a great deal of weight as of recently and was developing a sensitivity to the cold as a result. He shivered as he took his place by Oswald’s side, and the man put an arm around him as if to help warm him up. The gesture was ridiculous; Oswald was always freezing to the touch, and if anything, he only made Ed feel even colder. Still, he didn’t attempt to shrug him off as they made their way through the unremitting brick scenery of the monotonous Gotham streets. The nearby streetlamps bathed them in a warm amber hue and Ed watched on as several moths repeatedly flung themselves into their glass surfaces, too disoriented by their artificial glow to fly away.

There wasn't many clouds that night, but the vast sky above them was still devoid of any visible stars. The only notable feature was the soft, silvery luster of the waning crescent moon hanging high overhead. 

“I’ve always wanted to see the stars,” Ed admitted, speaking so quietly he was almost drowned out by the sound of nearby police sirens. It was all but impossible to see them in such a big city. Over the years, Ed made countless attempts to convince Isabella to take a vacation with him somewhere far away from Gotham, where he would be able to behold them in all their glory without the interference of bright city lights. She had refused him so many times that he had eventually given up trying. She was a homebody with a distaste for adventure, and her stubbornness had only gotten worse with age.

“You will. Soon,” Oswald chuckled, and Ed let out a disappointed sigh. He briefly wondered if Oswald was vaguely hinting at having the intent to ask him to run away together. Even if that were the case, Ed refused to entertain such a ridiculous notion. He was far past his years of spontaneity and naive optimism. Rushed decisions like that were what got him to where he was in the first place. No, there was no point in trying to run away from his problems. He had already dug his own grave long ago, and now there was no other choice but to just lie in it.

It was far more likely that Oswald just didn’t fully understand his situation anyway, but it didn’t matter. Their relationship was almost entirely physical, and he was sure that Oswald could care less about him or the details of his personal life. He wasn’t entirely sure why he had even bothered to say it in the first place. Oswald never shared anything about himself, and Ed knew almost nothing regarding the man’s own private matters. He wasn’t entirely sure if he even wanted to know. Despite it being hypocritical of him, Ed didn’t know how he would feel about finding out the man had a wife and children of his own, and so he chose not to ask about it.

By the time they had reached the familiar hotel, Ed was thoroughly out of breath. He tried to hide it from Oswald to the best of his ability, feeling considerably ashamed at how out of shape he had become. If Oswald noticed anything, however, he had the decency not to say anything. He stood to the side as Ed booked the two of them a room. He had always expected Ed to pay for it, but he was more than happy to do this much for him at the least.

He hated this hotel even more than the bar, but he kept that detail to himself. Although it saw its fair share of customers, the peeling wallpaper and lack of decor gave off the same aura as an abandoned shopping center. The lobby had a mostly brown and red color scheme with tattered black sofas that looked as if they had been picked up off the side of a curb. It was also far too quiet, but that was still superior in Ed’s opinion to the indecent ambiance that could be heard from within the halls of the upper floors. The walls were thin, and the barely muffled moaning was a dead giveaway to the type of clientele that typically inhabited the rooms.

The receptionist was initiating an unnecessary amount of eye contact with him, and even when he tried to look away, Ed was met with the unsettling feeling of a pair of eyes boring into the side of his head. He must have been new, as Ed didn’t recall ever having seen him before. When he finally held out the keys, Ed reached for them with a mumbled ‘thanks’ and tried to avoid meeting his gaze. The receptionist didn’t let go of them right away, and Ed ended up having to yank them out of his grasp. Ed glanced back at him in bafflement and the glassy look in his pale blue eyes suddenly registered. Most likely, the man was currently on some kind of drugs. With a sigh, he stepped away from the counter and made for the stairwell with Oswald following closely behind. 

The elevator had been labeled as out of order about a month ago and he was pretty sure they had no intentions of ever attempting to fix it. With no other available option, they had no choice but to use the stairs. Ed made it about halfway up before having to stop, leaning heavily against the railing for support and coughing loudly while trying to catch his breath. Oswald, having already surpassed him, turned around and fixed him with a fond smile from where he stood several steps above him. He made his way back down the steps to where Ed was stranded and wrapped an arm around his waist, helping him ascend the few remaining steps until the next landing. Ed had to admit that Oswald was fairly strong for someone his size, although he had never really noticed it before. He helped him settle down onto the floor once he reached the top, patiently allowing him to rest for a while before they finished climbing the rest of the stairs. 

Ed was equally winded after making the second half of the trip despite having his assistance, but at least Oswald was gracious enough to help him get settled onto the bed upon reaching their room. The sudden shortness of breath should have been concerning, but Ed had already been to multiple doctors who told him that he had no signs of any potentially serious underlying conditions. Still, though, his current state was embarrassing and he was grateful for Oswald giving him space as he struggled to even out his breathing. 

He let his eyes slip shut for a moment as he lay panting against the cheap comforter and too-firm mattress. He might have been tempted to fall asleep like this, but the promise of what was soon to come was more than enough to keep him alert. Upon finally catching his breath, he opened his eyes to the sight of Oswald sitting on the edge of the bed facing away from him. He turned to look back at him just a few seconds after, as if he could somehow sense being watched. He smiled at Ed as he slowly pulled a sleeve of his over-the-shoulder blouse further down his arm, his eyes half-lidded. The fabric was such a pure white that it seemed to glow against his skin, and the lace borders and long puffy sleeves gave him an almost ethereal quality. He looked like an angel when he dressed like this, and yet Ed knew better.

Oswald stood and un-tucked the top from his jeans before pulling it off completely, allowing his fingers to trail along his skin as he did so. Ed moved to sit up, desperately wanting to feel the contrast of Oswald’s smooth skin against his own callous hands, but Oswald playfully pushed him back down onto the pillows with his fingertips. He resumed making a show of undressing at an unhurried pace as if he had all the time in the world, which Ed was beginning to think that maybe he actually did. He deftly undid the buttons on his curve-hugging jeans and dragged the zipper down to reveal he was wearing lacy white panties to match his shirt, and Ed started to feel out of breath again at the sight despite not even having moved. 

He peeled the jeans off of his legs and allowed them to drop unceremoniously onto the floor before climbing back onto the bed. He crawled over to kneel beside Ed’s chest, putting himself on display before him. Ed reached out to let his fingers dance against the sharp projection of his hip bones, letting out a reverent breath at his flawless visage. Ever impatient, he slid the fabric down his milky-white thighs, freeing the hardening erection which was straining underneath. Oswald allowed him to slip the article down to his knees before moving to pull them the rest of the way off himself, flinging them off the bed without looking to see where they landed. Ed swallowed thickly as he let his eyes roam over him, wishing Oswald would let him take him into his mouth. He wanted to feel the weight of him against his tongue, to taste him, but every time he asked Oswald would just smile gently and shake his head no.

Oswald tugged out the knot on Edward’s already loosened tie before pulling open his collar to expose his neck. He leaned down and pressed a feather-light kiss just above his collarbone and Ed involuntarily jerked at the tickling feeling of his breath against his skin. 

He then pulled back and continued downwards, gradually undoing the buttons and revealing more of his skin as he went. He threw the shirt open when he finished, running his hands up and down his bare chest and Ed resisted the urge to flinch at the feeling of his icy cold hands. Oswald brushed his thumbs against both of Ed’s nipples at the same time and he arched his back in response to the touch, his body instinctively seeking more. The touch was fleeting, however, and Oswald was soon moving further down to fuss over his belt buckle. He undid his pants slowly and deliberately before fishing him out of them, not bothering to fully remove his clothing. He then slipped off of the bed for a moment to pull a bottle of lubricant from his discarded jeans before returning. 

He sat on the edge of the bed as he popped the cap open and drizzled a generous amount over Ed’s length, stroking the thick fluid over him languidly. When Ed began to squirm out of need, Oswald cast him a sly look and threw a leg over his hips in order to effectively straddle him. He wound the ends of the tie still hanging over his neck around his hands and used it to pull forward into a kiss. The kiss was tender and sweet, and Edward relished in the feeling of his impossibly soft lips moving against his own chapped and dry ones. Ed licked over his bottom lip in a request for access and Oswald granted it, parting his lips to allow Ed to press his tongue in between. Oswald tasted like nothing, as he always did. There wasn’t even the barest hint of toothpaste or breath mints lingering on his tongue; it was absolutely absent of any flavor whatsoever. It had bothered him at first, but Ed had long since grown used to it.

Ed was disoriented when Oswald finally pulled back from the kiss, having to take a second to remind himself of where he was. He felt distant as he watched Oswald lining himself up over his cock, looking down at him with a devilish grin as he did so. He always insisted on being in this position but Ed didn’t particularly mind, especially not now when he most likely didn’t have the strength to do any of the work by himself. Oswald began to lower himself down and Ed hissed upon feeling himself breach him, feeling for a moment as if he had been plunged into a bath of ice water. It happened every time and was soon replaced with the irresistible warmth of his velvety insides, but the initial sensation was always unmistakable.

Oswald took in more and more of him, sliding all the way down with ease until he was fully seated in Edward’s lap. It should have hurt; Oswald never prepared himself first and he felt incredibly tight in a way that couldn’t have possibly been pleasant for him. He could feel his opening stretched taut around the base of his shaft, and yet Oswald showed no signs of discomfort in the slightest. Still, watching Oswald impale himself onto his cock was a truly intoxicating sight. Some days, on one of the rare occasions that Isabella actually wanted him, he would close his eyes and try to picture this exact image in his mind in place of her.

Oswald lifted himself up only to drop himself back down again, and Ed let out a shameless moan at how good he felt as his body completely enveloped him. His hands couldn’t help but find their way to settle at his hips as he began to bounce on top of him. Oswald reached back to steady himself with a hand on Edward’s thigh and the action caused him to arch his back and push his chest out captivatingly. Ed began to raise his hips to meet him as he lowered himself back down, both of them moving perfectly in time to the rhythm of each other’s body. It was never awkward with Oswald, not even the first time they had ever been together. He was effortlessly graceful, undulating his hips against Ed without faltering even once. 

“Oswald,” Ed groaned out, hoping to catch the other man’s attention. Oswald’s gaze had drifted up somewhere high above his head, and Edward had never been so jealous of a wall in his entire life. Oswald lazily turned his focus directly onto Ed, an amused smile playing at the corners of his lips. Ed’s breath hitched in his throat the moment they made eye contact. It always felt exhilarating to have those alluring green eyes fixed upon him, watching him, taking him in.

“I’m close,” he managed to get out, his voice cracking slightly in the middle. 

“Go ahead then,” he encouraged, moving his hand onto Ed’s chest now and leaning forward to ride him even harder, “come for me, Edward.” And Ed almost did right then, just from hearing the sound of his own name upon Oswald’s lips. He bit his bottom lip and made a needy noise from somewhere in the back of his throat.

“Let me touch you,” Ed whispered, already knowing what the answer was going to be. As predicted, Oswald merely smiled and shook his head in response. The room was filled with the sound of skin upon skin as well as Edward’s pleasured moaning as Oswald continued to ride him expertly. The air was thick with the scent of sex and it was making Ed’s head spin. He gripped tighter onto Oswald’s hips as he felt himself approaching the edge, wanting to make the moment last a little bit longer but no longer able to hold himself back. His mouth fell open as he came, releasing himself deep inside of Oswald as he rode him through his orgasm. For those few delicious seconds, he was in pure bliss. 

His mouth felt incredibly dry as he began to come back down, feeling the weariness beginning to set in. He always wanted to simply curl up next to him after their encounters, to bask in the warm afterglow with Oswald tucked firmly in his arms until he drifted off to sleep. He knew he couldn’t do that, though. If Isabella caught wind that he was having an affair, she would surely make his life a living hell in return. He had no choice but to leave.

Oswald was still seated firmly against him, but was no longer moving. He was simply studying him with such a visible interest that Ed was momentarily taken aback, being unused to seeing such an intensity sparkling from within his eyes. Ed moved to sit up but abruptly found himself flat against the pillows once again, the world suddenly spinning around him rapidly. He was becoming increasingly aware of how exhausted he was, even more so than he was usually. It was incredibly hard to keep his eyes open. Moreover, he could feel the beginnings of a splitting headache beginning to form and his entire body was freezing cold in spite of the clothing he was still wearing.

“What’s happening to me,” Edward gasped out, reaching blindly in search of Oswald. He felt Oswald taking his hand in both of his own and squeezing it tightly in a reassuring gesture.

“You’re dying,” Oswald told him bluntly, rubbing calming circles into his palm with one of his thumbs. Edward took in a shaky breath and let his eyes slip closed, preferring the darkness behind his eyelids to the perpetual spinning that was threatening to make him feel ill.

“...But you already knew that, didn’t you?” he added softly just a moment later, and Oswald was entirely right.

Edward did know.

A part of him had known for a long time now, would’ve had to have been blind to not figure it out. He knew Oswald was a demon, or an incubus, or something else like it. He had heard of these kinds of creatures before although he hadn’t fully believed in any of the stories until meeting him. One side of him hadn’t wanted to believe, and had been in denial of the reality of Oswald’s true nature. That side of him had convinced himself that all of the health problems were due to age and being slightly underweight, that Oswald’s interest in him that first night was simply because he seemed like an easy lay, that he had continued to see him because he genuinely enjoyed his company. Some things didn’t quite add up, and so he just didn’t think about those things.

Deep down, though, there was a part of him that did believe in the paranormal aspect of him and had already fully accepted the consequence of his frequent visits. That side of him was already at peace with this result, and perhaps had even wanted it. He was getting progressively weaker and weaker each night he indulged in the company of the man before him, and it seemed that tonight he had no more energy left to give. He was finally at the end of his rope.

Frankly, he couldn’t have been more relieved. He didn’t blame Oswald in the slightest for what he had done, for what he continued to do even now. In a way, Oswald was not so very unlike Isabella. They both sucked the life out of him, but at least Oswald was able to give him something that he wanted in return. He felt happy on nights like these in a way that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Until he had to leave, that was, and go back home to his wife that he no longer loved, who no longer loved him. Now, he would never have to go home to her ever again. In a way, meeting Oswald had been a small mercy. He felt tears beginning to prickle at the corners of his eyes, and they felt so very good. He couldn’t recall a single time in his entire life when it had felt so good to cry.

“I wish things could have been different,” he heard Oswald say from somewhere above him, and his voice was entirely devoid of all emotion. Ed wasn’t entirely sure if Oswald was even capable of feeling any human emotion whatsoever. Still, though, Ed truly believed that he meant what he said, even if only because that was what he wanted to believe.

“Me too,” he told him, and then Ed couldn’t stop laughing. He felt it bubbling up from deep inside his chest, and before long it was pouring out of him all at once as if the emotions were a dam that was suddenly overflowing. The tears which had been building up at the corners of his eyes were now spilling over even as he continued to fill the room with the sound of his hysterical laughter. He couldn’t believe how euphoric he felt in this moment, even in the face of certain demise. 

He had no idea how long he had been lying there like that before Oswald was gently shushing him, letting go of his hand to stroke his fingers against his cheek soothingly. Once Ed had begun to settle down, Oswald captured his mouth against his own, bringing their lips together with a greedy passion. Edward felt what little remained of his strength draining into the kiss, and only a few moments later, Edward’s whole world had gone black. It wasn’t the same black as the shade he saw behind his eyelids in the brightened room. It was a real black. A black like the color of Oswald’s hair. A black like the color of pure, uninterrupted nothingness.

And then, Oswald was pressing his fingers into his temples and it was all lighting up, countless stars flickering into existence one by one. Displayed in front of his eyes was the most breathtaking night sky he had ever seen, swirling galaxies and twinkling constellations spread out before him in perfect clarity. 

“It’s the least I can do,” he could faintly hear Oswald saying, but his voice sounded small and distant as if he were very far away. 

And as far as Ed was concerned, he was. Ed was lying in a field somewhere now, unable to make out anything in the near distance save for the trees and the dense carpet of green surrounding him. He was alone now, far away from the overcrowded streets and loud noises of the city. There was no Isabella here, no children, no coworkers or dead end job. He was alone here. And for the first time in a very long time, Edward truly felt free.

“Thank you,” he whispered into the endless night sky, unsure about whether Oswald would even be able to hear him from here. He rubbed his hands over the grass beneath him, delighting in how soft it felt against the skin of his palms. The grass in Gotham was scratchy and rough and absolutely nothing like this. The air around him was warm with a pleasant breeze, feeling like a quiet summer’s night even though he knew it was currently the middle of October. Honestly, Edward didn’t really care. He felt like he could sit in this field forever, gazing into the infinite expanse of glittering lights above him in genuine wonderment.

It was, therefore, entirely too soon when Oswald’s hands were suddenly being pulled away from him. Each star went out all at once like a candle being extinguished, their radiant flames fizzling out for all of eternity.

Not even a second later, Ed had done just the same.  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to write this as an extension to the story but decided to make it an alternate ending so as to not detract from the weight of the original one. Regardless, I'll leave it to the reader to decide which one they like better. Enjoy!

“Oswald,” Ed groaned out, hoping to catch the other man’s attention. Oswald’s gaze had drifted up somewhere high above his head, and Edward had never been so jealous of a wall in his entire life. Oswald shifted his focus back down to Ed but his eyes were blank and distant, looking almost as if he were looking through him instead of at him. 

“I’m close,” he managed to get out, his voice cracking slightly in the middle. 

Oswald simply nodded, turning his eyes away from him again much to Ed’s disappointment. If he didn’t know any better, he might have even thought that Oswald seemed… sad.

“Let me touch you,” Ed pleaded, assuming that the problem was stemming from Oswald’s own needs not having been met. He never finished when they were together, and no matter how many times Ed would offer to assist him in doing so, he always refused. Maybe this time would be different.

Oswald merely smiled at him and shook his head though, and the expression seemed so natural he wondered if he had only imagined him being upset in the first place. He appeared to be back to his normal self now, transferring his hand to Ed’s chest and riding him with renewed vigor as he brought him nearer and nearer to his climax. The room was filled with the sound of skin upon skin as well as Edward’s pleasured moaning as Oswald rode him expertly. The air was thick with the scent of sex and it was making Ed’s head spin. He gripped tighter onto Oswald’s hips as he felt himself approaching the edge, wanting to make the moment last a little bit longer but no longer able to hold himself back.

“Wait!” Oswald exclaimed out of nowhere, halting the movements of his hips entirely. Ed was just barely able to stop himself in time, feeling as if he had nearly fallen off a cliff and was now flailing his arms to maintain balance. Oswald bowed his head, breathing irregularly and clenching his fists as if he were at war with himself.

“...Oswald?” Ed questioned with concern, tilting his head to try and get a better look at his downcast face.

“I can’t draw this out any more than I already have. If I take any more from you, you’ll have nothing left to give,” he muttered, so softly Ed thought he might have been talking to himself.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about! If we finish this, you _will_ die.” Ed blinked in shock. It was true that Ed had already been expecting as much; he had figured out what was going on a long time ago. He knew Oswald was some sort of demon, or incubus, or something else like it. To hear it said out loud, however, was jarring. A part of him had still been in denial about the situation, and to hear Oswald openly admit to it felt surreal. Oswald pulled himself off of his lap and the two of them sat in an uncomfortable silence as Ed tried to absorb the reality of the new situation.

“So, then, now what?” Ed finally asked, “You’re just going to let me go?

“No, you’re already too weak. Even if I don’t finish you off now, you won’t have much longer. The only option we have left is to turn you.”

“You’re saying you can… make me like you?” Ed asked. Oswald laughed, and the sound was so beautiful that Ed was almost starting to consider saying dumb things intentionally just so he could hear it again. Almost.

“No, creatures like me have to be born this way. We can’t turn others into one of our kind. I do, however,” Oswald continued, holding up two fingers in the shape of hooks and jabbing them painfully into the side of Edward’s neck, “know a kind of creature that can.”

“You can’t possibly mean…”

“This is the kind of decision I would normally advise one to think carefully about, but I’m afraid I can’t give you that. You have to decide now.”

Ed was surprised to realize that he didn’t need time to think about it at all. He had been wrong before. It wasn’t making spontaneous decisions that had gotten him to where he was now in his life, bored and miserable and lost. It was the lack of them that had done that. He had made one mistake a long time ago and he had let it take over his entire life, had resigned himself to letting his life control him instead of trying to control it. It occurred to him now that the only way to achieve the future he wanted was to chase it down relentlessly, to take matters into his own hands. Perhaps, subconsciously, that was why he had continued to pursue Oswald all this time. There was a part of him that knew all along the true nature of what Oswald was, and yet it hadn’t deterred him; if anything, it had spurred him on. He needed this, he needed the change. He needed Oswald.

“I’ll do it,” he declared with finality.

“I had a feeling you would. I just need to make a call.” Oswald climbed over him to reach for the hotel phone on the nightstand and Ed shifted awkwardly, his forgotten arousal still sitting painfully against his stomach. Oswald looked over at him and grimaced slightly.

“Oh. Um. Sorry, I can’t--”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Ed assured him.

“If you want, you can…” He gestured vaguely to Ed’s erection.

“I’ll be alright,” Ed insisted, and Oswald just shrugged as if to say ‘suit yourself’. He felt uncomfortable about the idea of jerking himself off next to Oswald while he was talking to a stranger on the phone, so he’d just have to deal with it for now.

“Hello, Tabitha? Yes, it’s Oswald. I trust you haven’t forgotten about that little favor you owe me? Well, I think I’d like to call it in now.” Oswald glanced over at Ed while he spoke, and although he could have been mistaken, Ed could have sworn he saw the slightest hint of affection towards him from somewhere deep within his eyes. Ed waited patiently for Oswald to finish talking, fidgeting idly until he heard the click of the receiver being replaced.

“You’d better appreciate this, because for the record, I despise that woman.”

“I do. Really, Oswald. I don’t know what things are going to be like after this, but at least I won’t have to keep living the same way I’ve been living now. I have only you to thank for that.” Oswald’s expression softened almost imperceptibly as Ed spoke, but it was enough for him to notice. Oswald then began to collect their discarded clothing from around the room, tossing Edward’s over to him before beginning to redress himself. Ed cleared his throat awkwardly.

“So, does this mean that we can’t… That we can’t ever…” Ed trailed off.

“Good to see that you have your priorities straight,” Oswald sighed. “Hypothetically no, it wouldn’t be a problem. I can only leech off of the life force of the living, and in this case, you would be… well, to put it bluntly… dead.” Oh.

“Also, how come you never let me touch you? Does that hurt you?” Oswald huffed out a little laugh and rolled his eyes before shaking his head. It made Ed felt a little stupid for asking, but his embarrassment was overshadowed by surprise. Oswald seemed to be acting so much differently now. He supposed that now that the penny had dropped, Oswald no longer needed to maintain his facade of the perfectly submissive temptress. So this was the real Oswald. Ed decided that he liked him better this way. 

“No, it doesn’t work like that. I just don’t bother. My main focus is on feeding, so my sexual pleasure doesn’t really concern me,” he shrugged. “I’ve been doing this for long enough that it’s become something of a chore.”

“I just don’t see why you can’t do both.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind with my future victims,” Oswald told him, tone dripping with insincerity. 

“Oh. Future victims…”

“Yes, Ed. Did you think I was going to stop? If I don’t, I will die. I suggest you become well acquainted with the idea of killing as well, because if this is truly what you want, you’re going to have to do it too,” he told him flippantly.

“I know,” Ed responded, not appearing to be particularly broken up over the idea anymore. Oswald studied him for a moment before he was able to decipher the reason for the inconsistency.

“Unbelievable. Are you actually jealous over me sleeping with other people? I’m an incubus. It’s what I _do_.”

“As I’m well aware. I suppose I just hadn’t fully thought about it yet. This is all happening very fast.” There was a brief silence. “So does that mean you were seeing other people… _victims_ … while we were…?” Oswald just stared at him incredulously for a few seconds before rolling his eyes and deciding to ignore the question.

“Understood, moving on. Actually, I was wondering. You don’t technically need to kill anyone, right? Theoretically, you should just be able to simply weaken them…”

“No. Stealing their life force gives me energy, but I still need their souls too. It would be like a human eating but not drinking water. They would still die, eventually,” he explained. Ed nodded, taking the new information in.

“Listen, Oswald. I don’t know what caused you to make you want to do something like this for me, to spare me, but… I’m glad I met you. I’m ready for whatever comes next, as long as you’re going to be there to face it with me,” Ed confessed, his voice nearly a whisper. Oswald took in a deep breath and turned to fix him with a stern and solemn expression.

“Good to know, Edward, but stop assuming there’s going to be a ‘we’. I think you’ve gotten a little too attached. Admittedly, it seems that I’m having a moment of weakness. But just because I’m being kind enough to spare you doesn’t mean that THIS,” he waved a finger back and forth between the two of them, “is a thing. After you’ve been turned, I think it’s for the best that we never see eachother again.” Ed’s heart dropped into his stomach.

So that’s how things were going to be. He should have known. Suddenly, the concept of immortality didn’t seem so great after all.

* * *

_~2 months later_

Oswald pressed his lips together in annoyance from where he was pushed up against a wall as the stranger before him pawed at him greedily. He felt vulnerable while feeding at the best of times and generally tried to have as much control over the situation as possible. Being in the middle of an alleyway where someone could discover them at any time did not make him feel in control in the slightest. 

“Certainly you had somewhere more… comfortable in mind?” Oswald hinted in a low, honeyed tone.

“Here’s fine, baby. No one will see us, don’t worry,” he breathed against his neck.

“It’s the middle of winter. Surely we’ll freeze,” Oswald pointed out, even though the chilly air had no effect on him.

“Don’t worry, you can keep your clothes on,” he assured him. That definitely was not going to work. He had just opened his mouth to argue when he felt an insistent tug pulling at his sleeve. He glanced over in irritation at the source of the interruption. 

“No, Edward, find your own. This one’s mine.” The man who was currently feeling Oswald up jerked in surprise, not even having seen Ed sneaking up to the two of them.

“I tried,” Edward whined, sounding not unlike a petulant child, “but he got away. And I’m hungry.”

“Edward! You need to be more careful,” he hissed at him. At this rate, Ed was going to get himself killed. Again. 

The temporarily forgotten stranger glanced back and forth between the two of them in utter confusion and possibly fear. Ed was considerably disheveled and had bits of blood matting down his messy hair.

“Maybe this is a bad time for you,” he muttered, trying to casually slip away. Oswald’s hands shot out to grab him by the face, pressing his fingers firmly against his temples. He pulled the man against his chest before he could crumple to the ground, his now sleeping form having gone limp. He held him upright for Edward while he eagerly hunched over him, sinking his teeth deep into the plainly exposed neck. Oswald tried not to cringe as Ed spilled blood all over him, undoubtedly staining one of his favorite shirts. It was, after all, to be expected. Ed was still learning how to eat and his fangs hadn’t even fully grown in yet. 

“I can’t keep feeding you forever,” Oswald chided once Ed had all but bled the man dry. Ed straightened himself back out and looked down at him, licking some of the excess blood off of his cheek in an innocent manner that should not have even been possible for someone who had just murdered an innocent with zero hesitation. 

“Let’s go back to your place,” he casually suggested, completely ignoring Oswald’s admonishments. Truly, the man never changed.

“I would, Edward, but you just hijacked my prey and now I need to go out and find another one. Sometimes I think you’re _trying_ to kill me.”

“Even if that were true, it would only make us even,” Ed pointed out, and Oswald begrudgingly had to concede the point to him. He frowned, looking down at his newly bloodstained clothing. It would be hard to pick anyone up in a state like this anyway.

“Fine. But only if you promise to leave me alone for a few days-- I’m seriously starting to feel weak.”

Admittedly, death was a good look on Edward. It had shaved years off of him mentally and physically and he was practically brimming with energy. Sometimes Oswald found it difficult to even keep up with him. He was a quick learner as well, although he still had trouble catching prey. He would get stronger with time, but Oswald was considering teaching him to seduce his victims instead of trying to overpower them for now. At least Oswald would know about that; trying to teach someone how to be a vampire when he wasn’t one himself had been a challenge. Once Ed had gotten the hang of things, they’d leave Gotham once and for all, like Ed had been begging him to. For now, however, it was the perfect place to go unnoticed while also having a constant stream of prey.

Despite how much Oswald had hated himself for going soft, for letting himself develop feelings for some random human, he hadn’t been able to leave him in the end. He supposed it wasn’t so bad. He had always assumed that he didn’t need any meaningful relationships given that he had no soul, but having Edward around was making him realize just how lonely he had been all this time.

“...Two days. That’s as high as I’ll go,” Ed negotiated, and Oswald sighed in response.

“Deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> Btw guys I would LOVE it if you let me know which ending you liked better even if the comment has nothing else but a number, I’m really curious x) thanks for reading!


End file.
